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Observations:
1. All organisms produce more offspring than survive to adulthood
2. Populations remain more or less constant in numbers
3. Members of the same species show variation in characteristics
4. Some characteristics are inherited and so are passed on to the
next generation
Deductions:
A. All organisms are involved in a struggle for survival and only the
best adapted survive
B. Organisms that survive are more likely to reproduce, and therefore
pass on their useful adaptations to their offspring
Observations
For example, herds of many animals live on the plains of Africa, wildebeest,
zebra, gazelles etc. Each year many of the females give birth to young, but
the overall population sizes of these species stay the same.
There are a number of factors which keep the population numbers stable,
including competition for food, predation and disease
Observations
3. Members of the same species show variation in
characteristics
Darwin’s third observation was that all living things vary slightly in
colour, shape, size or behaviour.
Below are three different colourings and skin patterns found in the
giraffe.
Those individuals that are the least well adapted do not survive long
enough to breed.